While gun violence has risen in public housing across much of New York City this year, East Harlem is bucking the trend. Shootings in the neighborhood’s NYCHA complexes have dropped 30% since 2023, compared to just 7% citywide. WNYC’s Brittany Kriegstein reports on the coalition of police, nonprofits, and community members working together to keep violence down, and why that progress remains fragile.

A federal judge says he’ll order that activist Mahmoud Khalil be released from immigration detention. Plus, New Yorkers are voting early at a rate that experts say may signal a transformative shift in the electorate. Also, a bill has passed in the New York City Council that would require the parks department to install at least 50 new outdoor drinking fountains over the next decade. And finally, NYCHA and a pair of developers are awaiting final approval from the federal government. After that, residents of a senior apartment building will have 90 days to move.

The Department of Homeless Services is now requiring all new homeless shelters to provide air conditioning, as nearly 40% of existing sites still lack it. Meanwhile, bee swarms are being spotted across the five boroughs. Experts say the insects are mostly harmless and on the move to form new colonies. Plus, the National Weather Service is warning of patchy dense fog this morning across parts of Southern Connecticut, the Lower Hudson Valley, and interior Northeast New Jersey

Nearly half of the NYPD’s bomb squad is eligible to retire this year, including many of their dogs. Meanwhile, starting this Wednesday, travelers without a passport must show a REAL ID to board domestic flights. Plus, the MTA will close the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel overnight from Wednesday through May 13th to test its massive flood doors as part of hurricane preparedness.

Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders are taking $8 billion from reserves as part of the New York state budget deal. Plus, New York City’s Park Commissioner Sue Donoghue is stepping down later this month. Also, city council members in Summit, New Jersey have been considering a contentious law that would allow police to arrest homeless people camping in public places. And finally, a special thanks to all teachers on National Teacher Appreciation Day.

Sanitation officials are taking landlords to court over rat-infested lots. In Harlem, a judge let the city into a trash-covered property after the owner ignored orders. Officials say they’ve done this nine times this year. Meanwhile, rain is expected through Friday, with multiple rounds of showers moving through the region. Plus, new reporting this morning from various outlets including Bloomberg and the New York Times say air traffic controllers briefly lost communication with planes at Liberty Newark Airport last week.

New York City will stop enrolling new families who are eligible for child care vouchers. Plus, one of the six guards charged in the deadly beating of upstate prisoner Robert Brooks has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Also, a plan to add protected bike lanes in Long Island City is getting the green light from a Queens judge. And finally, New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board voted on a range of potential increases ahead of its final vote in June.

Hundreds of flights at Newark Airport face delays or cancellations due to staffing shortages and weather. Meanwhile, New York City’s cultural institutions are rushing to fill funding gaps after the Trump administration cut support for the National Endowment for the Arts. Plus, with just over a month to go until New Jersey’s primary, money is pouring into the governor’s race, but following the cash trail isn’t easy. NJ Spotlight News reporter Colleen O’Dea joins us to explain why.

Car crashes in Manhattan’s congestion zone have been dropping for three years and congestion pricing may be speeding that up. Meanwhile, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower peaks this Monday, with up to 30 meteors an hour before dawn. It continues through mid-May. Starting Saturday, the International Space Station will be visible over the city during the evening. Plus, Bronx Week kicks off this week with free events through May 18.

The New York Knicks are headed to the second round of the NBA playoffs after beating the Detroit Pistons 118-115 in Game 6 on Thursday. The win wasn’t pretty and required a last-second buzzer-beater from Jalen Brunson to seal the victory. Next, the Knicks face the defending champion Boston Celtics. WNYC’s Janae Pierre speaks with Newsday Knicks beat reporter Steve Popper about what the win says about the team and how they match up with the Celtics.

The NYPD says an officer shot a man holding his own mother at knife point Thursday night in a Pelham Bay, Bronx apartment. Plus, police will start issuing criminal summons for e-bike and e-scooter riders who run red lights and stop signs. Also, a spicy wine with jalapeños is trending just in time for Cinco de Mayo. And finally, some New York City residents are taking an extreme approach to eliminating their carbon footprints.

Governor Kathy Hochul is backing a new law that would increase penalties for wearing a mask while committing a crime. Forecasters are warning of rain and thunderstorms in the New York City area this weekend. And Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled a $115 billion city budget plan that could define the final stretch of his mayoralty as he faces a tough re-election battle. WNYC’s Elizabeth Kim has more.

The tech industry is pushing back against an effort to regulate artificial intelligence in New York. Plus, New York City workers who conduct sweeps of homeless encampments are supposed to offer to store people’s personal belongings. But new records obtained by WNYC show that rarely happens. Finally, how a multi-millionaire dollar environmental effort in New Jersey is aimed at preventing damage from future storms.

State lawmakers are proposing a bill that would allow the New York City Council to remove a sitting mayor with a three-fourths vote after a public hearing. Meanwhile, the city’s Department of Transportation is kicking off National Bike Month with events across the five boroughs. Also, the Knicks clinch a spot in the second round of the NBA playoffs after edging out Detroit. Plus, on this week’s transportation segment: Amtrak tunnel repairs, a looming NJ Transit strike, and the MTA begins testing new subway fare gate designs to fight evasion.

Gov. Hochul’s budget includes money to add new spaces in subway stations where mental health outreach workers can connect with homeless people. And, Mayor Adams’ $115 billion budget plan includes new spending on policing, affordable housing and more. Also, a new proposal from the Adams administration could mean a rent hike for people using housing vouchers. Plus, reporters at the Marshall Project look into prisoners’ safety in jail infirmaries. And finally, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is pitching a new idea that would base social services underground.

TD Bank shut down Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign account within a week of his federal indictment, according to new documents filed with the city’s Campaign Finance Board. Meanwhile, the MTA is urging Amtrak to rethink its plan for a three-year tunnel closure, warning it could disrupt Long Island Rail Road service for years. Plus, WNYC’s Jessica Gould breaks down the city’s new approach to math education and why even parents may need a refresher.

New Jersey Transit engineers may go on strike May 16th if no contract deal is reached. In New York City, the Rent Guidelines Board is weighing rent increases for more than a million stabilized apartments, with a final vote expected in June. Meanwhile, the New York Attorney General says federal cuts have wiped out AmeriCorps funding across the state. Plus, this week’s politics segment dives into Mayor Adams’ campaign finance issues, updates in the mayoral race, and the latest from state budget negotiations.

A federal judge orders the release of Pro-Palestinian student activist Mohsen Mahdawi from detention. Plus, an NYPD paperwork snafu has landed someone in jail. Also, the Prospect Park Alliance is cutting down one-third of the trees in the Dog Beach Elm Grove because of Dutch elm disease. And finally, historian Marc Zinaman released a coffee table book documenting 100 years of queer history in New York City.

Governor Hochul and state lawmakers say a final budget deal could come this week or next, but changes may follow later in the year. Meanwhile, New Yorkers without a Met Gala invite have several stylish alternatives including the People’s Ball, Debt Gala, and Metro Gala. Plus, the Jane’s Walk NYC festival returns this weekend with hundreds of free history walks across the five boroughs.

New York is moving closer to legalizing physician-assisted suicide, as the State Assembly advances the Medical Aid in Dying bill. Meanwhile, the future of Rye Playland is in doubt after a contract collapse with the park’s operator. And the Knicks fall to the Pistons at home, missing a chance to clinch the series. Game 6 is set for Thursday in Detroit. **Correction: An old episode of NYC Now was inadvertently uploaded this morning. It was has since been updated with the correct version.

MTA officials laid out plans Monday to use artificial intelligence technology to push its surveillance capabilities to new levels. Also, city officials say unauthorized demolition work and years of neglect caused the deadly collapse of a parking garage in Lower Manhattan in 2023. And a federal prosecutor is threatening to sue telecom companies in a bid to get them to monitor users' messages and crack down on child sex predators. Plus, GrowNYC’s Greenmarket program supports over 200 local producers today. And finally, as National Poetry Month comes to an end, we share poems from a father-son duo in Brooklyn.

The MTA will test modern fare gates with sliding glass doors at 20 subway stations this fall, part of a pilot aimed at curbing fare evasion that costs the agency hundreds of millions annually. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are one win away from advancing to the second round of the NBA playoffs as they play the Pistons at the Garden. Plus, New York state lawmakers have a handshake deal on the state budget that's almost a month late. WNYC state government reporter Jimmy Vielkind. Has the details.

New York City will allow affordable apartments to bypass the housing lottery and list vacancies directly on real estate sites like StreetEasy, in an effort to speed up the rental process. Meanwhile, Governor Hochul and state lawmakers have struck a tentative deal on the nearly $254 billion state budget, almost a month late. Plus, the Trump administration is investigating whether New York’s ban on Native American school mascots violates federal civil rights laws, with a Long Island school at the center of the dispute.

The NYPD is expanding its quality-of-life “Q-teams” across the city this summer to handle non-emergency complaints like outdoor drug use and illegal parking. Meanwhile, the FAA is capping flights at Newark Liberty Airport to 34 per hour through late October to ease delays. Plus, early voting is now underway in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and senior politics reporter Brigid Bergin bring us the latest.

Elected officials, veterans and union workers are blasting the White House for its proposal to cut staffing at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Plus, Mayor Adams’ executive budget will invest another $46 million to revitalize New York City's supportive housing initiative. Also, residents of Staten Island's south shore head to the polls Tuesday to fill an open City Council seat. And finally, delivery workers in New York City are accusing DoorDash of a pattern of wage theft.

Starting Monday, New Yorkers receiving cash assistance must once again meet work requirements or risk losing benefits. Meanwhile, Senator Cory Booker and Representative Hakeem Jeffries held an hours-long sit-in on the Capitol steps to protest looming cuts to social services. Plus, NYPD data show thousands of homeless encampment sweeps last year, but only about a hundred people wound up in shelter. WNYC’s Karen Yi has more.

Newly reviewed data shows NYPD officers removed more than 27,000 homeless people from public spaces last year, mostly in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Amtrak is cutting service between Albany and New York City starting today for major tunnel repairs. Plus, Basketball Hall of Famer and Knicks legend Dick Barnett has died at 88, as the Knicks push to close out their playoff series against Detroit.

NYC Now is back this weekend with the final episode in its series on Mayor Eric Adams and how he has found himself at the mercy of intersecting political powers — from his voter base, to prosecutors, to Governor Kathy Hochul, and, of course, President Donald Trump. Now, with the mayoral election just a few months away, we look at what lies ahead for Adams and the city. Host Janae Pierre sits down with WNYC politics reporter Brigid Bergin and fellow host Brian Lehrer.
 

Miss the previous episodes in our series? Listen to #1 here, #2 here, #3 here, #4 here and #5 here.

Former New York Congressmember George Santos will be spending at least seven years in federal prison. Plus, comptroller candidate, Justin Brannan, has a plan to re-invest a $500 million piece of the city's multibillion-dollar pension funds and use it to pay for universal child care. Also, a report on the future of containerizing New York City’s garbage. And finally, a food critic shares a few good eats in the West Village neighborhood.

A manhunt is underway after a deadly stabbing on a Manhattan subway platform during Friday morning’s rush hour. Meanwhile, the Manhattan district attorney’s office is urging more survivors to come forward after a finance attorney was indicted on more than 100 counts of sexual assault. Also, Catholic churches across New York City are holding Masses Friday night to honor the late Pope Francis, whose funeral is Saturday. Plus, as we wrap up coverage of Earth Week, we examine New York’s progress and setbacks on its ambitious climate goals with Columbia University’s Michael Gerrard.

The nonprofit that operates New York City’s 988 suicide and crisis hotline says it may have to lay off staff due to a funding shortfall. Meanwhile, former Congressman George Santos is set to be sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to multiple federal charges. Also, the Mets are riding a seven-game winning streak and hold the best record in Major League Baseball. Plus, in this week’s transportation segment, a misstep by federal prosecutors may weaken their legal case against the MTA’s congestion pricing plan.

There’s more turmoil swirling around the congestion pricing plan. Plus, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch destroyed more than 3,000 illegal guns at an event on Long Island this week. Plus, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ mayoral campaign recently picked up some significant endorsements. And finally, an inside look at New York City’s progressives’ battle to pick Zohran Mamdani or Brad Lander for mayor.

The Trump administration may shift legal strategy in its bid to kill congestion pricing after accidentally uploading a letter suggesting current arguments are weak. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, a teen has been charged with setting a wildfire that's burned at least 15,000 acres in Ocean County. Also, the NYC Council is preparing to vote on bills aimed at limiting tourist helicopters following a deadly crash in the Hudson River. Plus, Tom Wright, President and CEO of the Regional Plan Association joins us for Earth Week to discuss how New York State is progressing in its ambitious climate goals.

A new report shows nearly a third of foster youth who aged out of New York City’s system last year couldn’t secure housing and had to remain in care past age 21. Meanwhile, city officials say long-promised reforms to the private trash hauling industry won’t be fully in place until 2027. Plus, wildfire smoke is affecting air quality today, with health officials urging vulnerable groups to limit outdoor activity.

Mayor Eric Adams is commending both demonstrators and officers after thousands marched in Manhattan Saturday to protest President Trump on his birthday. Meanwhile, two of four detainees who escaped from a Newark immigration detention center last week have been recaptured, according to the FBI. State lawmakers have passed a bill requiring major AI developers to reduce risks of harm, with penalties for violations. And flags across New York are flying at half-staff today to honor Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, who were killed in a politically motivated shooting.

A new report shows that young people in the New York City foster care system have a hard time finding housing once they age out of care. Also, three federal prosecutors assigned to Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case have resigned. Plus, houses of worship hope to be part of the solution to New York’s affordable housing crisis. And finally, Eater New York recently released its list of the best pizza slices across the five boroughs.

Amid a public outcry, lawmakers in Summit, New Jersey, have delayed a vote on a planned local law that would ban homeless encampments in public spaces. Meanwhile, a Bronx Catholic school has been saved from permanent closure. Plus, local immigration advocates say more migrant children are going to court without lawyers, after the Trump administration cut funding for their representation. WNYC's Arya Sundaram has been tracking the impact on the ground in immigration court.

Mayor Eric Adams appeared to take aim at a U.S. senator from Maryland who met with a man the Trump administration deported in violation of a court order. Meanwhile, drug-related deaths in New York City shelters dropped 17% last year, according to a new city report. Plus, a new City Council bill would require the city to regularly review access to drinking fountains in public parks.

The wife of Mahmoud Khalil says immigration officials prevented her husband from being able to attend the birth of their first child. Plus, a new poll indicates that Gov. Hochul's standing with New York State voters is improving. Also, Brooklyn's Bedford public library is officially reopening this week following substantial renovations over the past few years. And finally, we’re celebrating Earth Day with New York's climate and clean energy goals in mind.

A new Siena poll shows U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer’s approval rating has fallen following his support of a Republican-led budget deal to avoid a federal shutdown. Meanwhile, the Adams administration says hundreds of new rain gardens and so-called infiltration basins are now in place across Flatbush and Canarsie to help manage stormwater and reduce flooding. Plus, on Earth Day, experts say New York State is lagging in its goal to fully transition off fossil fuels by 2040. WNYC’s Rosemary Misdary reports on how the state might catch up.

Local immigration advocates say more migrant children are showing up to court without legal representation, after the Trump administration cut funding for their attorneys. Meanwhile, New York City’s hotel lobby is urging officials to lower the occupancy tax, blaming tourism losses on new federal tariffs. Plus, President Trump is backing a Long Island school district fighting to keep its Native American mascot, despite a statewide ban.

St.Patrick’s Cathedral was filled with mourners at its Easter Monday mass as churchgoers learned of Pope Francis’ death. Plus, a Hudson Valley health system agrees to restore psychiatric care and mental health reforms. Meanwhile, details are emerging about Mohsen Mahdawi, the second Columbia University student protest leader detained by U.S. immigration officers in recent weeks. And finally, the NYPD is investing in new technology to combat drones used for “nefarious purposes.”

The Trump administration is giving New York State a May 21 deadline to shut down its congestion pricing program or explain how it complies with federal law. Meanwhile, New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is rolling out enforcement guidelines for the city’s upcoming ban on most tenant-paid broker fees. Plus, Carnegie Hall launches the “Nuestros Sonidos” festival, a citywide celebration of Latin music featuring genres from bachata to Latin jazz.

The MTA says it will not comply with the federal government’s demand to shut down congestion pricing, despite Sunday’s deadline. Meanwhile, New York City Council members are holding a hearing on parking reforms, focusing on safety measures like daylighting and truck loading zones. Plus, a former NYPD officer fired for firing his weapon off-duty is suing to get reinstated, arguing the punishment was too harsh.

NYC Now is back this weekend with part five in its series on Mayor Eric Adams and how he has found himself at the mercy of intersecting political powers — from his voter base, to the courts, to Governor Kathy Hochul, and, of course, President Donald Trump. This week, host Janae Pierre and WNYC reporter Samantha Max take a deep dive into the chaotic decision to drop the mayor’s corruption case and the resulting revolt among federal prosecutors. And we look at the institution at the center of it all: the Southern District of New York. We examine its history, its fiercely guarded independence, and how the Adams case could undermine its future.NOTES:
Miss the previous episodes in our series? Listen to #1 here, #2 here, #3 here and #4 here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In this episode, we look at how LGBTQ+ New Yorkers are pushing for greater protections and visibility as they face a more hostile political environment. Plus, a guide to this year’s Pride celebrations across the city.

City officials in the Bronx are charging 20 alleged gang members with 15 shootings spanning the last three years. In New Jersey, WNYC’s Mike Hayes reports on a new local law that criminalizes homelessness. Plus, WNYC’s Hannah Frishberg takes us inside tryouts for the Timeless Torches, the New York Liberty’s senior dance team.

New York Attorney General Letitia James says the Trump administration’s call for her prosecution is politically motivated, after federal officials accused her of falsifying property records. Meanwhile, Mayor Adams is pausing composting fines for smaller buildings, saying more education is needed on the city’s new waste rules. Plus, in a major shakeup, the Trump administration is taking control of the Penn Station overhaul, removing the MTA from the lead role. WNYC’s Stephen Nessen explains what this means for commuters.

A federal judge is now considering whether the Trump administration can cut $11 billion in health grants, including $360 million for New York State. Meanwhile, New York City transportation officials say self-driving cars aren’t ready for the city’s streets just yet. Also, the Knicks begin their playoff run Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Plus, on this week’s transportation segment: The federal government is taking the lead on the Penn Station overhaul.